


First Bite

by Cutekittenlady



Series: Kallura Vampire AU [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Has some risque biting, Rosegold, Vampire Allura, but hey its a vampire fic, human keith, kallura, royalgold, vampire!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 02:34:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11864832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cutekittenlady/pseuds/Cutekittenlady
Summary: A weakened vampire princess and a human boy make good on their deal.





	First Bite

**Author's Note:**

> Get to know me on Twitter @cutekittenlady  
> And on my tumblr fic blog http://cutekittenlady.tumblr.com/
> 
> An anon on tumblr created artwork for this fic! The link to the source on imgur is just underneath the image in the work!

Magic was not as simple as people tended to assume.

Certainly most knew it involved reading a lot of books and dedicated decades to scholarly endeavors. But no one ever talked about how the after effects of using too much magic for too long was equivalent to running a 100K marathon in thigh deep water while wearing a tracksuit made entirely of steel.

Magic was just like any other energy. It drained the user's strength a little every time it was used. If a user failed to allow themselves time to rest and recuperate, they could suffer from serious bouts of exhaustion.

Which was why Allura was now bedridden.

Vampire magic had the benefit of giving its users greater stamina, thus making their magic pack a greater wallop over a longer span of time. Humans lacked this benefit and tired more easily. Which was why most human magics were most effective through small drawn out rituals, rather than sudden wild bursts.

Drowsily, Allura came awake after many long hours of sleep.

Her head had been propped with multiple pillows, and at least two extra blankets had been added to the four-post bed. The smell of geraniums drifted through the room. With a glance to her side, the princess could see that someone had set up an aroma diffuser next to the bed. Likely to help with her recovery.

The setup had likely been Coran’s work. The manservant had served her father loyally for hundreds of years, and his dedication had passed to her upon his death. Allura appreciated her assitant more than she could ever express, but at times, such as now, she felt that his care could get to excessive levels.

Certainly she had pushed her limits in that fight against that minor demon. And perhaps the inferno spell had been a bit much. After all one didn't HAVE to reduce a demon to ashes in order to defeat it. And certainly she had passed out afterward and had steadily been wavering between sleep and wakefulness on a consistent basis since, but that was no reason to add two extra blankets to her bed.

Even if the warmth did make her feel extra cozy.

It is a rather overblown myth that vampires sleep in coffins within deep dark basements. For starters, coffins were made for dead people who didn’t care if the place they spent the rest of eternity in was horribly cramped. Then there was the unbearable humidity of sleeping underground. It was nice in the summers when the upper stories of the castle could get horribly hot, but once winter came around it was like a freezer.

Allura preferred being able to hunker down in the warmth of her blanket and get cozy. Blocking out the chill of the stone castle In the winter. Coran would be sure to light the fireplace and place a warming pan under her mattress. It made sleep such a relaxing and enjoyable affair.

And things were certainly getting cold.

Summer had passed, and the cold winds of Autumn now whistled around the castle’s walls. Creating a symphony of of eerie moans that would echo through the empty hallways in the dead of night.

Alright so maybe it wasn’t a _symphony_ , but Allura had grown up in this castle. She knew every nook and cranny by heart. The decades she had spent exploring the endless array of hallways had given her an appreciation for the old piece of architecture that no one else could replicate.

The sound of someone yawning drew the princess’s attention to the other side of her bed.

A gas lamp sat there, illuminating the small corner where the fireplaces light didn’t reach. One of the chair’s from a nearby table had been dragged over and set at an angle that caught just enough light to make reading possible.

Keith sat there with a book on his lap, his free hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Judging from how far he had gotten into the novel, he must have been sitting there for a few hours. Maybe even longer.

For awhile, Allura remained silent. Quietly studying how the shadows fell across his face and accentuated his features.

The curve of his jaw. The softness of his lips. The way his eyes seemed to shine in the light.

She’d never admit it to his face. But in his own sloppy unkempt way…

Keith was handsome.

Allura attempted to sit up, grunting with the effort.

This action drew the boy’s attention to her.

“Allura!” Keith let the book fall from his lap to the floor as he bolted upright. “You’re awake.”

The princess looked at him disapprovingly.

“Quiet down, you’ll wake the whole castle.”

Keith frowned at her scolding. “Good thing if I do! Everyone’s been waiting for you to wake up!”

“They needn’t worry so much.” Allura successfully managed to push herself up into an upright position. With an effort.

“Bullshit.”

The princess flinched at the boy’s language. He really wasn’t much of a gentleman. At all.

“You can barely sit up on your own. Every time you’ve woken up you almost immediately passed out again. And you haven’t even touched any food or drink since you killed that demon! So don’t tell me we don’t need to worry!”

Allura sighed in quiet irritation.

Really, she didn’t want to deal with some noisy rude _human_ so soon after waking up. Especially one that was so uninformed on her physiology.

Technically speaking, vampires didn’t strictly NEED to consume food or water. They could subsist on blood alone. The only reason Allura continued to eat and drink was to conserve her own magic. And because she happened to enjoy the taste of food. Especially sweets.

Still, it wasn’t really Keith’s fault. It wasn’t like learning about the dieting habits of vampires was part of his basic curriculum.

“I do not need any of those things. I don’t need to eat or drink to survive like humans do.”

Keith didn’t look impressed. Or convinced.

“Really? So when you collapse after recklessly knocking yourself out, how exactly DO you heal?” he then added with a level of sarcasm that made Allura’s teeth grind, “ _Your highness._ ”

It was times like this that Allura temporarily re-evaluated her vow not to needlessly harm humans. They could be so disrespectful.

“If you must know there is _one_ way I can speed up my healing process.” She stared rather intently at his neck.

The hint somehow managed to fly straight over Keith’s head.

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

Allura stared at him, suddenly feeling rather lost. She had been hoping he’d pick up on the idea on his own. She had never had to actually explain it to anyone before. Everyone else in the castle had picked up on it immediately. Even Lance.

“Well, I mean… I _am_ a vampire.”

“So?” Keith shrugged in the way of one who had just heard someone say the sky was blue.

The princess was at a temporary loss for words. No one had ever failed to connect the dots before now.

“W-well.. I mean… I… y’know…” She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Our… deal?”

It took a few moments for the boy to actually catch on. But when he did his reaction wasn’t what Allura had expected.

“Do you mean the bloodsucking thing?”

“Yes.” Her voice had dropped to a stunned monotone. “I mean the bloodsucking thing. As you so aptly put it.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you just say so?”

To the princess’s great horror Keith immediately began unbuttoning his shirt.

“Wh-wh-what are you doing?!”

“Well I mean… it's from the neck right? That’s what all the old stories say.” After a pause he asked. “Or is that another one of those overblown myths? Like the garlic thing?”

“W-well I mean… No… Th-the neck is as good a place as any-”

“Then what’s the issue? This is your part of the deal isn’t it?” Keith crossed his arms with a look of confusion. “I mean. I’ve been living here for a month now. You’ve more than kept your end of the bargain.”

“Th-that’s true.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

Allura didn’t dare make eye contact. “I was hoping we’d… We’d work up to it. I-I mean it’s not exactly something you just dive into.”

“Why?” Keith suddenly looked a bit concerned. “Does it… Does it hurt?”

“No!” Allura exclaimed before flushing in embarrassment and continuing with a much more quiet tone. “I mean, no. Not at all. Not if the participant is willing. I-It has to do with the muscle tension. A-and the magic makes the blood flow easier”

This only seemed to confuse the boy further. He scrunched up his nose in thought.

“If you’re worried whether or not I’m diseased or something, Coran and Pidge checked me out. And before mother died she made sure I was fully vaccinated. I mean I don’t have any _papers_ or anything, but if we really hunted-”

“No, no. Pidge and Coran are experts. They know what they’re talking about.” Allura averted her gaze from the boy’s face. “I-It’s just that… well…”

Allura had always known this was going to come up sooner or later and had deliberately put it off. But now it seemed she had no choice.

“It’s just… I’ve never…” Her face now red with embarrassment the princess murmured under her breath. Her voice so low it was barely a whisper, “...done this before.”

Keith leaned forward, his human ears unable to hear the words.

“You’ve never… what?”

Taking a deep breath Allura repeated, this time louder, “I-I’ve never done this before!”

“Never done what before?”

“ _This_ !” She gestured between her and Keith. “I-I’ve never done _this_ before! I know that sounds unusual given my age and experience, but this is honestly my first time. A-and I mean it’s a big deal. For both of us.”

Keith kept his eyes on Allura for a moment, glanced down to see how far he was actually leaning on the bed, and immediately backed up.

“We’re uh,” he paused to clear his throat. “We’re still talking about the blood-sucking thing right?”

The princess blinked up at him. “Of course.”

The boy sighed a bit too heavily and heaved a very quiet, _Oh thank god_ , as he breathed out.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing! A-anyway what do you mean you’ve never DONE it before? I’ve seen you drink goats blood. Out of a siphon. In front of everyone.”

The situation in question had honestly been one of the more awkward parts of Keith’s negotiated co-habitation in the castle. Despite growing up being the constant target of some of the most hideous monsters and spirits in their part of the world, the sight of the beautifully poised and pristine vampire princess sucking animal blood from a tube had set him on edge.

Mainly just because of how naturally the others had taken it. No one had raised their head once, or commented on it. Every one of them just kept on eating like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Keith had said nothing at the time, nor since. He wasn’t so rattled as to risk insulting a house full of vaguely non-human people who happened to be his current benefactors.

But the sight had bugged him. It reminded him too much of all the times he’d been attacked by small beasts and monsters who’d scratched him up and hungrily licked at the wounds. Of how every would be sorcerer, demon summoner, and wizard had kidnapped him and drained his blood to do god knows what.

He’d always managed to escape, but they had been close calls. Every time felt like his last.

And then he’d met Allura.

It hadn’t actually been the best of introductions.

It had involved Keith being kidnapped, a lot of misunderstandings (to say the least), and a lot of miscommunication from both sides before the princess had proposed her deal.

At the time he’d accepted more out a resigned sense of the inevitable than anything else. A large part of him hadn’t even expected Allura to stick to her word. After accepting he’d spent the next few days forcing himself to stay awake in his bedroom, expecting the vampire princess to come gliding in out of the gloom during the night and taking a bite while his guard was down.

But she didn’t.

When he finally conked out after staying awake for three days straight, he’d found an extra blanket draped over his form instead of the vampire and her associates draining his blood in his sleep. It had come as a sincere surprise. And yet he remained unconvinced.

Keith wished he could name all the times some nice looking old woman or helpful man turned out to be a demon in disguise, a witch, or something else. A reality he would only discover once they had his guard down and attacked him.

The first week went past, and nothing happened.

By the second week, Keith had become accustomed enough to the castle to begin helping out with work.

By the third week, the others had welcomed him with open arms into their light hearted card games.

And Allura still hadn’t tried to feed on him.

No one had ever waited this long to attack him before. Allura had provided him with food, clothes, a place to sleep, and allowed him to be almost entirely autonomous on where he went and when. That on top of the fact that it was honestly the first time anyone had offered him any kind of choice in the matter had eventually convinced Keith that it was, maybe, worth the risk to try trusting these people.

Then that demon had shown up and attacked him.

Only for Allura to step in.

She hadn’t walked away unscathed. The princess had been scratched up and bruised.

Course she was looking like a fresh bit of sunshine compared to the charred remains of the demon.

And then she’d collapsed.

Everybody took immediate action.

Shiro was the closest thing the misfit group of monsters had to a leader outside of Allura. He directed everyone’s actions and made sure little slept through the cracks.

Hunk carried the princess to her bedroom where Coran administered immediate first aid.

Pidge swept up as much of the charred remains as she could to analyze and ensure that the threat had truly been neutralized.

Lance set out to investigate just HOW the low level demon had managed to slip through the castes magic wards, and whether they should be concerned for another attack on their turf.

This all left Keith at kind of a loss until Shiro took him aside and instructed him to fetch things for Coran. He was honestly thankful for the task. Just standing to the side and being a useless spectator didn’t sit well with him. It made him feel like something that was just there to take up space.

When all the hubbub had died down Keith had been instructed to wait up with Allura. Initially he’d been frustrated to be given a job that was more or less sitting out of everyone’s way. But it quickly became apparent that he’d received this duty by process of elimination more than anything else.

Although he’d always been aware of , and sometimes even a part of, magic spells Keith had no inkling into how it actually worked. Everybody else did, and they needed all the help they could get to ensure the wards were functioning properly.

In the end Keith had realized he didn’t mind waiting for Alura to awaken. She looked so peaceful in her sleep and the store of books she kept in her room provided him with at least some entertainment as he waited.

He hated to admit it but it had almost felt… comforting.

Only now that she was awake did he feel awkward being left alone with her.

Especially since she was making this whole blood thing so weird. At least by the standards he was used to.

“That was ANIMAL blood. Besides it was several days old and chilled. Fresh warm _human_ blood is… W-well I’ve never had it.”

Allura kept her eyes trained away from Keith as she shyly tucked a strand of silvery hair behind one of her ears.

_But you’re a VAMPIRE!_

Keith had to bite his tongue to keep from saying it aloud.

“Why not?” he asked instead. “I mean I would think the opportunity would present itself at some point.”

Allura looked at him like he’d just asked her why she didn’t bother kicking puppies.

“You can’t just run around drinking people’s blood willy nily! It’s- I don’t- I mean it’s just not _proper_.” she rambled until her gaze hardened. “Why would you even ask me that?!”

Now it was Keith’s turn to flush in embarrassment.

“You’re the one who’s making this so weird after **you** suggested I do this!”

“Well I wasn’t expecting you to be so upfront about it!”

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s just a little blood! It’s like rent for letting me live here!”

“It’s more _personal_ than that!”

“How?! It’s not like you’re the first-” he stopped in search of a proper term.

Monster really didn’t seem to fit Allura. At all.

For starters she was far prettier than any other monster he’d ever seen. Even the ones who took on deliberately attractive forms to lure in humans. Her beauty was less expected and more… well _alluring_.

Which was weird because Allura _was_ a monster.

A powerful one.

It just felt wrong lumping the high class lady before him with all those… Those THINGS that had haunted him for so long.

Keith needed a new term.

So he made one up.

“-non-human person to drink my blood.”

It was shoddy but it’d have to do for now.

Despite this attempt at diplomacy the princess glared at him.

“NEVER lump **me** together with those… those…” It was Allura’s turn to come up with a term. But she had a considerably easier time of it. “Those THINGS!”

She turned away from him.

“If you aren’t going to take this seriously, then go help one of the others! I don’t care how.”

Keith glanced at the door.

Now she was kicking him out? Over something she clearly _wanted_ him for?

Was this some kind of messed up reverse psychology?!

He couldn’t understand her.

Whether it was because she was a vampire, a royal, or a woman he didn’t know.

Probably a mix of all three.

And frankly that just rubbed him the wrong way.

Keith had been hunted, chased, kidnapped, played with, and generally forced to live his life in a never ending game of cat and mouse. But he’d be damned if some princess told him what to do.

“No.” Sitting back and crossing his arms, the boy dug his metaphorical heels in the ground.

She looked at him incredulously. Clearly not used to having her orders ignored like this.

“Why?” the princess demanded.

“Spite.”

“You are… You’re just…” Allura gave an exasperated groan and sunk into her sheets. “I’m too tired for this.”

“You wouldn’t be if you just drank my blood.”

It was something Keith never thought he’d ever say. Especially with a hint of concern in his voice.

Allura didn’t respond.

It was only by the way she gripped the sheets around her that he even knew she was still awake.

He huffed. This woman was stubborn. But he thought he might have an angle to make her finally give in.

“Listen,” Keith leaned towards her ear. “That demon from before got in past your wards right?”

She shifted uncomfortably.

“Well, what if we don’t find out what’s wrong with it in time?”

The sheets were gripped more tightly.

“More demons might slip in and the next thing you know there’s an infestation.”

He paused before adding.

“And they wouldn’t use the lavatory for their business.”

A groan of disgust.

He was almost there.

“Plus there’s no way we could permanently keep them out of the kitchen. I’m sure they’d find those lollies that are kept in the far back of the pantry in a dark jar labeled ‘fish guts’.”

Allura looked over her shoulder. A look of surprise and paranoia in her eyes.

“How did you know about that?!”

“I was looking to see if you had any lizard tails in the pantry.”

“Why would we keep those in the pan-”

“Not the point!” Keith cut in before the conversation could take another tangent.

Allura still looked suspicious. “Okay but how did you know they were mine?”

“I didn’t. You just told me.”

The lovely noble high bred higher-than-art-thou princess’s mouth hung open in shock. Keith drank in the sight while he still could.

Before she could utter another argument he made sure to drive the nail home.

“You promised I wouldn’t get attacked by any monsters while I’m inside the castle right?”

Allura frowned but nodded.

“Well if you don’t get your powers restored you won’t be able to make any new wards. And if the wards aren’t fixed more demons might get into the castle. And they’ll attack me. Just like today.”

She didn’t meet his gaze.

“So if you want to keep your promise to me, you’re going to HAVE to accept my end of our bargain.”

Keith let this sink in.

The princess was gripping the sheets and glaring up at the ceiling in deep thought. He could read the thoughts on her brow. Desperately searching for some way she could manage to wriggle out of this.

“Come on.” He urged. “I mean I can’t taste THAT bad.”

Her grip on the sheets relaxed, and Allura exhaled a breath of surrender.

“Alright. I’ll do it. But only a little bit.”

Getting up from his seat, Keith finished unbuttoning the top of his shirt and leaned over the princess.

It was honestly the last thing he had ever thought he’d ever do. Freely giving his blood to a monster who wanted it. A part of him was already screaming to back out immediately.

Trusting monsters had never worked out for him before. Even the ones that did help him in the end had always had some kind of ulterior motive. Allura was different sure, but that was only because he hadn’t figure out her motive yet.

There was a dark side to every monsters nature. It was what made them MONSTERS. Years of survival had taught him that.

Yet here he was. Throwing that all in the face by letting a vampire, arguably one of the lords of monster kind, make a quick snack out of him. And he was letting her do it.

He wouldn’t be allowed to complain if this bit him (no pun intended) in the ass.

Allura’s arms wrapped themselves around Keith’s torso and pulled him down. Though she could barely lift herself from her mass of pillows, his neck was close enough for her to bite.

She hesitated. Some primal part of her could almost smell the blood flowing through his body. It smelled warm, young, and above all else _alive_. The animal blood she had grown up drinking to supplement her powers had always been cold and dead.

Her instincts urged her on as she shakily opened her mouth and bit deep into Keith’s neck.

At first nothing happened.

And then both their worlds exploded.

Keith felt no pain outside of a small pinch. Even as he felt his blood being disrupted from its proper path and into Allura, he felt no discomfort.

Instead he felt his body grow hot as all of his nerves seemed to simultaneously burst into flame. Allura’s hands gripped the back of his shirt tightly as all of his muscles grew lax and his body shook. He could feel her teeth digging deeper into his flesh as his mind fogged over and his vision blurred.

Joints buckling under his own weight, Keith collapsed on top of the princess only for her to roll over, pinning him underneath her and giving her teeth the weight they needed to sink completely into his neck.

An overwhelming sense of pleasure pulsated from Keith’s neck all throughout his body. His hands gripped the sheets every time Allura drank in more and more from him. Every time she swallowed it was like his senses surged with newfound intensity.

((Artworks original source [**HERE** ](https://imgur.com/a/M58ds)))

His fingers could practically feel the threads in the sheets. His eyes watered from the dim light. His ears rang at the faintest sound. Even the taste of the air seemed to intensify.

The most overwhelming, however, was the smell.

With every fresh pulse, Keith breathed in more and more smells from the castle and the room around him. And from Allura.

He could smell her hair, her skin, her clothing. Everything.

It was like smelling fresh air for the first time in decades. The smell was indescribable, but it washed over and through him and delivered with it an overwhelming sense of desire.

Gasping as yet another wave of pleasure shook his body, Keith squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. Attempting to hold back the moan that threatened to erupt from his throat.

His pride battled with his body's needs, as Keith struggled to remain silent. His willpower slowly leaving him.

Allura’s hands gripped Keith’s arms as she took another, deep drink.

She had never tasted blood so delicious in the whole of her life.

It ran over her tongue with a delicate warm and thick texture. The sweet metallic taste tantalized her tastebuds and pushed her to take in still more.

Her strength was returning with an unprecedented agility as each gulp felt the equivalent of a week’s worth of rest. Power surged through her as it never had before. Every bit of Keith’s essence seemed to be flowing into her, bolstering her already immense energy reserves to a point the princess had never known possible.

And yet she could still feel the warm pulse of life from the boy’s neck. The comforting beating of his heart that assured her that there was still enough life in him to continue on.

Every aspect of him seemed to fill her conscious down to the tiniest blood vessel.

The whole of his being flowing into her like a waterfall. The taste of his blood, the gruffness of his well worn skin, the smell of his body. Even the tiny sounds he made as she took in more and more of him.

It all felt a part of her.

Keith’s breath tickled her ear as his breathing grew haggard through each new pulse.

She could feel his mental hold weakening as his body's needs slowly began taking over his mental faculties. Eventually it all gave way.

A stifled, but still very audible, moan of pleasure escaped from Keith’s mouths as his whole body went lax.

The stores of Allura’s energy were now filled to a level they never had been before. To the point that it felt almost like a vat that threatened to overflow.

She felt- no _knew_ she could throw ten of the fireballs she had earlier and feel no strain in her magic. It was a fact that bore both exhilarating as well as very sobering thoughts.

This was why Keith had been hunted.

The taste, the overwhelming stimulation, it took every bit of Allura’s willpower not to drink it all in at once. And it took even more to disengage her fangs from the boy’s neck and end the seemingly endless flow of energy.

Her exhaustion had completely disappeared. In fact, she felt more awake than she had in days, nay _weeks_. Inside of her body, she could feel the magic crackle and surge like lightning waiting to flow from her veins and lay waste to everything in its path. Like a hurricane beneath the skin.

It took a moment for her thoughts to return to the moment at hand.

Allura looked down at Keith who lay exhausted on her sheets. His eyes closed and his breathing heavy.

Tiny droplets of blood had dripped from the two tiny pierce marks and onto his collar, staining it red. The wound itself, however had already stopped bleeding.

That would be the magic at work. Couldn’t really convince people to keep letting you bite them if they bled out every time. Vampire bites healed and out of the minor blood loss a bit of itchiness there were no side effects.

Hell, after consistent feedings some humans even began experiencing beneficial side effects. Vampiric magic would spill over into the human's blood stream causing a whole range of side effects from a bolstered immune system to an increase in strength and stamina. It wasn’t uncommon for humans who freely offered their blood to vampires to live well beyond the average human life expectancy.

Allura knew all of this. Yet she still leaned over Keith with a look of concern and brushed the hair from his face. Trying to get a look at his complexion and ensure that she had not taken too much blood.

Her hands felt cool on Keith’s face.

Opening his eyes, he refocused his gaze onto the princess and their eyes met.

Dark gray stared into Cotton Candy Blue.

“So… wh-what was that?” Keith voice was surprisingly quiet. “I-It felt…”

He stopped and shyly looked away from her face.

Allura waited for him to finish. This was a significant step in their relationship. Especially for Keith.

Blood drinking was… Well it required a great deal of trust between the vampire and human in question.

The human had to trust the vampire not to use their position and power to abuse them.

Any vampire who fed on a human had to trust that they'd watch over them at their weakest moments.

It required understanding from both parties. And honestly? She could see why. It had been such an exhilarating experience.

Two life forces merging into one. The unprecedented flow of energy. _The taste_.

It had nearly overwhelmed her.

She could only imagine how Keith felt. Not only would he have felt the merge as well, but the endorphins emitted from her fangs would have alleviated any pain and made the whole thing A LOT more pleasurable.

Assuming the princess had done a good job, that is.

“It felt kinda…” The tips of Keith’s ears burned red. “Kinda… weird?”

“...Oh.” It wasn't the response Allura had hoped for.

Amazing. Great. Even a simple good would have sufficed. “Weird” was just too ambiguous. Was it a good sort of weird? The bad sort of weird? _What did it mean?_

Had she done it inefficiently? A part of her wanted to ask but considering how flustered the boy already was it was likely best to not be too forward.

Keith sighed and closed his eyes.

“Do you feel alright?”

“Yeah, Just… tired. And a little dizzy…” his voice drifted as his eyes slid closed.

Allura bit her lip. He certainly didn’t SEEM to be suffering too much from blood loss.

But what about _energy_ loss?

Allura had managed to gauge how much blood she had taken, but what about the energy? Her magic HAD surged suddenly. Had she somehow drained Keith of his essentially energy while she drank his blood?

The thoughts worried her.

There was only one way to know for sure if Allura truly hurt him.

She sat up, took a bit of his exposed armpit, and twisted.

Keith screeched like he’d been stabbed bolted upright, with much more energy than a dying man would have, soothing Allura’s worries.

Sadly Keith didn’t seem nearly as relieved.

“WHAT. THE. FUCK?!”

“Language!”

“I’ll watch my _fucking_ language when **you** explain why you just tried to twist my _fucking_ arm off!”

“I did not try to twist your arm off! I twisted a bit of the skin on your armpit.”

“SAME QUESTION!”

“I did it to inquire into your health! I thought you looked a bit unwell.”

“Are you kidding me?” Keith glowered at her. “I’m just tired.”

“Well yes but you didn’t seem to have a reason to-”

Keith cut her off. “I woke up today, chopped wood, hauled lumber, got attacked by a _demon_ , ran errands for Coran, and then stayed up until three in the goddamn morning waiting for SOMEBODY to wake up! I then had my blood drained by a vampire. I’m _tired_ Allura.”

The princess turned away from the boy, affronted. “Well _excuse me_ for checking on you!”

“Well do me a favor. The next time you check on me? SHAKE ME AWAKE LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!” He huffed and collapsed back down on the bed.

Allura stared at him. “Aren’t you going to go back to your room?”

“Don’t wanna.”

She scoffed. “You are acting just like a child.”

“Don’t care.” Keith turned over onto his side so that he faced away from the princess.

Glaring at the boys back, Allura stood up and said. “Get out. I want to get dressed.”

“So get dressed. I’m gonna be asleep anyway.”

“Absolutely not! I can’t get dressed with a man in my room!”

“Why not?”

“It's not proper!”

“Pfft proper. Like I give two shits about that.”

“LANGUAGE _MR. KOGANE_!”

“Proper and manners is subjective, I once stayed at a place where it was improper to wear clothing in the summer months.”

“Well for my upbringing it is highly improper! So OUT!”

“Alright alright, as you wish _your majesty_.”

Keith made a move to get up…

And immediately flopped onto the floor.

Blinking he tried to right himself only to lose his balance once more and land on his bum.

“What the crap? It’s like my limbs have fallen asleep on me!”

Allura resisted her initial desire to rush over and help the boy up. Honestly, he had no manners to speak of. If Keith wanted help up, he’d have to ask for it like an actual gentleman.

Keith struggled for several moment’s, intent on making his limbs obey him. Before flopping back to the floor unceremoniously.

Glaring at his rebellious legs, Keith shifted his attention to Allura and asked. “....What did you do?”

“I bit a brat but otherwise nothing in particular.”

“Then why can't I make my limb’s- urg- fucking WORK-!” his sentence punctuated with him trying to shove himself up, only to hurl back and smash his nose into her floor.

Allura’s eyebrows furrowed, confusion clouding her face before she remembered.

Right. Early side effects to being bit by a vampire.

They include temporary muscle control loss and exhaustion among other side effects.

Keith was less likely to move then a cat was to stay out of things it didn't belong in. Which meant… he really did have any choice but to stay put until the side effects wore off.

Shoot.

Sighing at having been defeated by her own appetite for blood, Allura crossed the floor and kneeled down next to Keith.

“Here.” She put her arm around his shoulder. “Let me help you onto the bed.”

“No thanks.” Keith snapped. “I can do it mysel-”

Allura hooked her other arm under his knees and hauled him up from the floor, carrying him in her arms like a newlywed bride.

Keith looked down at the floor in shock and then back at the princess.

He was going to have to remove the word dainty from his list of adjectives when it came to thinking about the princess.

Gentle was the next one he removed, as he was dropped onto the bed like a rock covered in filth

“You can stay there until your body begins working again, I will go change in the next room over.”

Keith pouted as he watched the uncrowned queen of deceptive appearances open her dresser, grab an assortment of clothes, and walk out. Slamming the door in what he had to assume was the most ladylike way possible.

Groaning, he slumped against the pillows and closed his eyes.

 _Keith, Keith, Keith._ He thought ruefully. _You’ve really landed yourself into a mess this time._

Allura fumbled as she buttoned up her blouse in front of a mirror.

God she felt so embarrassed.

Keith simply had NO respect for her. She didn’t lead a team of monster hunters, demon slayers, and ghostbusters to be disrespected by, what was by her standards, a human child. And right after she had drank his blood too!

She honestly wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. Keith hadn’t understood how blood sucking as a general process worked _before_ she bit him, why on earth would he understand it’s significance _now_.

As she finished the last button Allura looked herself up and down.

Her blue blouse and skirt may not have been the best items for running around the castle grounds checking wards, but they were honestly all she had at the moment. The clothing she typically wore for rougher excursions had been damaged in her fight against the demons when she and the other’s had found Keith and they had yet to be mended or replaced.

Tucking a loose hair behind her ear, the princess deemed her appearance acceptable and headed back to her bedroom.

Allura had no idea how long the side effects of a bite lasted after initial contact. She seemed to recall having read that the minor side effects lessened over time as the human body became accustomed to having its blood drained. Which meant that Keith would always end up exhausted and in need of a rest every time she fed off of him. At least until his body adjusted.

There was also the frequency of the feedings to consider.

How often was it healthy for her to feed off of him before it became dangerous? How long did it take for Keith’s body to produce more blood? Most importantly, how quickly did the human body become accustomed to vampire magic and stop malfunctioning slightly after every contact?

None of these were questions Allura had ever had to answer before. Mainly because she had never had a need to.

The idea of her ever feeding off of a human had almost been surreal.

She had read of days of long long ago when people freely gave their blood to vampires in order to gain the protection of their powerful magic. But too many Lords and ladies had exploited their positions and the humans they fed from. In the end the humans became fearful and simply revolted.

That was why she, and all vampires, now hid from prying eyes. It somewhat helped that over the centuries humans had made up nonsensical stories about vampires evaporating in sunlight, being unable to cross running water, and Allura was sure she had heard one story involves nuts or beans and something about counting them.

Most Vampires had been killed by the humans in the past. Now the few that remained either kept to themselves in the estates they had created over their centuries of lie or became parasites that forcefully fed from humans to supplement their own magical powers. Monsters that stalked through the nights, the noble days of the heritage long forgotten.

It was a sobering reality but nonetheless something the princess had grown up with. Hiding from humans now felt second nature to her.

Keith marked the first time she had accepted a human with no clear connection to the supernatural. Certainly monsters hunted him, but monsters tended to hunt humans in general. Shiro, Lance, and PIdge were technically still physically human. But varying events in each of their lives had made calling them such a questionable act.

As far as she and the others were concerned, Keith Kogane had become their resident ‘human’ by default.

And he was now her blood-letter.

The brash, crass, rude, sarcastic, utter disaster of a human boy… Was now her blood-letter.

Oh how the great house of Altea’s standards had fallen.

Opening the door to her bedroom she caught sight of Keith still laying on the bed and headed towards him.

“I’ll be going to look at the wards now. You can stay here until you regain the strength to stand, but after that go back to your own room.”

He gave no reply.

Allura glared. “Are you listening to me?”

She came to his side and instantly saw that he had fallen asleep.

Keith lay on his side, right arm under his head as the left lay by its side. His breathing had evened out since the biting, and his face now looked peaceful in its restful sleep rather than tired or irritated.

If the princess had been delusional she would have said he actually looked cute,

Kneeling down next to the bed, Allura reached for the boys face. Only to quickly withdraw with his brow twitched and he seemed to flinch in his sleep. Whatever Keith was dreaming about, it was nothing good.

Pulling the sheets over him, Allura leaned down and pressed her palm against his cheek. Keith froze at first, but then seemed to relax as the gentle hand ran its fingers through his hair. The princess couldn’t help but smile. He really was just like a child. Being calmed in his sleep by a just a touch.

Glancing at the door to ensure no one was peeking in, Allura bent her neck and, very lightly, placed a kiss on Keith’s forehead.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For keeping your end of our bargain.”

Her face softened and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

“You’ll be safe here. I’ll keep my promise and protect you. I swear. So sleep peacefully.”

It was silly her doing this. She knew that. But it was the least she could do for the poor boy.

As much as he infuriated her, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. His life had been harder than most, and filled with unnecessary suffering. She felt sorry for him, and wanted to ease the difficulty of his life. If only by a little.

And that meant fixing the wards.

Standing straight, Allura lifted the glass lamp from the nightstand and blew it out. Shrouding the room in darkness.

She then opened the door and, with one last glance at the sleeping figure on the bed, departed for a hard day's work.


End file.
